New Age Spirituality: Rethinking Religion - Paperback

by Steven J. Sutcliffe (Author), Ingvild Saelid Gilhus (Author)

New Age and holistic beliefs and practices - sometimes called the "new spirituality" - are widely distributed across modern global society. The fluid and popular nature of new age makes these movements a very challenging field to understand using traditional models of religious analysis. Rather than treating new age as an exotic specimen on the margins of 'proper' religion, "New Age Spirituality" examines these movements as a form of everyday or lived religion. The book brings together an international range of scholars to explore the key issues: insight, healing, divination, meditation, gnosis, extraordinary experiences, and interactions with gods, spirits and superhuman powers. Combining discussion of contemporary beliefs and practices with cutting-edge theoretical analysis, the book repositions new age spirituality at the forefront of the contemporary study of religion.

Author Biography

Steven J. Sutcliffe is Senior Lecturer in the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh. Ingvild Sælid Gilhus is Professor of the History of Religions at the University of Bergen, Norway.